Biking in Brooklyn

Although I’m not the most athletically-inclined person out there, biking is sort of becoming a new hobby of mine. Not only is it a good form of exercise, it’s also a wonderful mode of transportation in the summer.

I bought a new bike a few years ago, but soon after my interest in it began to dwindle. So there it sat in the corner of my room collecting dust and being used more so as a glorified coat rack than anything else. I hung bags, clothes, jackets, and almost anything else that I could from it eventually became a sad version of its former self.

I felt bad for the bike, as though it had any feelings/emotions to feel bad for (I definitely think I watched The Brave Little Toaster way too many times as a child), and knew that it really wasn’t living up to its potential. It needed to be out amongst its peers soaking in the sunlight and feeling the pavement beneath its wheels, but instead it seemed to go to the place where all bikes go when they retire.

This remained so until a friend from high school that I recently re-connected with convinced me to give it another try. My friend is really into biking himself and wanted to take a look a mine to see what needed to be done. It turns out that all my bike needed was a little TLC which included adding air to the tires and a good wipe-down, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s as good as new, it definitely has its old charm back and has therefore sparked my interest in biking once again.

On this first day, my friend and I did a couple laps around Prospect Park, and it was just as difficult as I’d thought it be, if not harder! But after I completed those laps, I felt so accomplished! I was getting fresh air and exercise and having fun doing so. Also, since I’ve last biked, Brooklyn has become a lot more bike friendly, and by that I mean that there are loads more bike lanes and paths on streets and sidewalks, but I do feel as though it is now the people that need to work on becoming just a tad bit more bike friendly. So far, I’ve been yelled at from a guy in a car claiming I almost hit him (totally not true, I was nowhere near him!), almost knocked off my bike by a guy I startled who probably didn’t have all of his marbles to begin with, and hit on by major creeps who somehow believe that me being on a bike is an invitation for them to say whatever they’d like.

Despite these slight drawbacks, I’m definitely going to continue biking as long as the weather permits. I think it’s a great way to see more of the city and get my cardio in.

So here is my bike, in all of its glory. Care to join me for a ride? 🚲